The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) 1). found that for patients with a hemispheric or retinal TIA or a mild (non-disabling) stroke within 120 days and ipsilateral high-grade stenosis (>70%), that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) reduced the rate of fatal and non-fatal strokes (by 17% at 18 months) and death from any cause (by 7% at 18 months) when compared to best medical management (when surgery was performed with perioperative risk of stroke or death of 5.8%). Results were twice as good for patients with stenosis from 90–99% than for those with 70–79%. Furthermore, with CEA the frequency of major funct ional impairment was reduced at 2 years 2).